POLITICAL ACTION: FUND-RAISING; Let's Hug It Out, Brothers

By JIM RUTENBERG

Published: October 10, 2006

As if Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, right, did not have enough to worry about as head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Now comes news that one of his brothers has been helping the Republicans. Campaign reports show Ari Emanuel, a Hollywood superagent, gave $1,000 last year to the Republican National Committee. The rest of his donations, more than $50,000, went to Democrats, but still. Ari Emanuel was inspiration for the hyper-aggressive agent on the HBO program ''Entourage,'' played by Jeremy Piven. ''Like I was just telling our mother,'' Rahm Emanuel said of the donation, ''I always liked Jeremy Piven better anyway.'' Ari Emanuel had no comment. JIM RUTENBERG

Photos: Ari Emanuel, superagent and brother of a Democrat. (Photo by J. Emilio Flores for The New York Times)